What symptom is typically absent when assessing claudication in a patient during treadmill testing?

When assessing claudication during treadmill testing, progressively worsening pain is typically absent. Claudication is characterized by muscle pain or cramping in the legs that occurs with exertion, such as walking, due to inadequate blood flow. One key feature of claudication is that the pain tends to have a predictable onset and resolution; it begins when the patient starts exertion and typically resolves with rest.

In contrast, progressively worsening pain throughout the test would suggest a more severe or different underlying vascular issue, such as critical limb ischemia or neuropathy. Instead, patients often report that the pain level is consistent during the exercise until it reaches a point where they must stop for rest, after which the pain decreases. This highlights the defined, reproducible nature of claudication pain as opposed to a continuous increase in pain severity.

The other choices — pain in both legs, fatigue in the legs, and numbness in the feet — can all be associated with claudication and are symptoms that patients might experience during treadmill testing.